French Togoland became Togo in 1960. Gen. Gnassingbe EYADEMA, installed as military ruler in 1967, ruled Togo with a heavy hand for almost four decades. Despite the facade of multi-party elections instituted in the early 1990s, the government was largely dominated by President EYADEMA, whose Rally of the Togolese People (RPT) party has been in power almost continually since 1967 and its successor, the Union for the Republic, maintains a majority of seats in today's legislature. Upon EYADEMA's death in February 2005, the military installed the president's son, Faure GNASSINGBE, and then engineered his formal election two months later. Democratic gains since then allowed Togo to hold its first relatively free and fair legislative elections in October 2007. Since 2007, President GNASSINGBE has started the country along a gradual path to democratic reform. Togo has since held multiple presidential and legislative elections deemed generally free and fair by international observers. Despite those positive moves, political reconciliation has moved slowly, and the country experiences periodic outbursts of violent protest by frustrated citizens. Recent constitutional changes to institute a runoff system in presidential elections and establish term limits has not reduced the resentment many Togolese feel after over 50 years of one-family rule.

one of the more densely populated African nations with most of the population residing in rural communities, density is highest in the south on or near the Atlantic coast

Natural hazards:

hot, dry harmattan wind can reduce visibility in north during winter; periodic droughts

Environment - current issues:

deforestation attributable to slash-and-burn agriculture and the use of wood for fuel; very little rain forest still present and what remains is highly degraded; desertification; water pollution presents health hazards and hinders the fishing industry; air pollution increasing in urban areas

the country's length allows it to stretch through six distinct geographic regions; climate varies from tropical to savanna

People and Society :: Togo

Population:

8,176,449(July 2018 est.)

note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected

Togo’s population is estimated to have grown to four times its size between 1960 and 2010. With nearly 60% of its populace under the age of 25 and a high annual growth rate attributed largely to high fertility, Togo’s population is likely to continue to expand for the foreseeable future. Reducing fertility, boosting job creation, and improving education will be essential to reducing the country’s high poverty rate. In 2008, Togo eliminated primary school enrollment fees, leading to higher enrollment but increased pressure on limited classroom space, teachers, and materials. Togo has a good chance of achieving universal primary education, but educational quality, the underrepresentation of girls, and the low rate of enrollment in secondary and tertiary schools remain concerns.

Togo is both a country of emigration and asylum. In the early 1990s, southern Togo suffered from the economic decline of the phosphate sector and ethnic and political repression at the hands of dictator Gnassingbe EYADEMA and his northern, Kabye-dominated administration. The turmoil led 300,000 to 350,000 predominantly southern Togolese to flee to Benin and Ghana, with most not returning home until relative stability was restored in 1997. In 2005, another outflow of 40,000 Togolese to Benin and Ghana occurred when violence broke out between the opposition and security forces over the disputed election of EYADEMA’s son Faure GNASSINGBE to the presidency. About half of the refugees reluctantly returned home in 2006, many still fearing for their safety. Despite ethnic tensions and periods of political unrest, Togo in September 2017 was home to more than 9,600 refugees from Ghana.

This is the population pyramid for Togo. A population pyramid illustrates the age and sex structure of a country's population and may provide insights about political and social stability, as well as economic development. The population is distributed along the horizontal axis, with males shown on the left and females on the right. The male and female populations are broken down into 5-year age groups represented as horizontal bars along the vertical axis, with the youngest age groups at the bottom and the oldest at the top. The shape of the population pyramid gradually evolves over time based on fertility, mortality, and international migration trends.

For additional information, please see the entry for Population pyramid on the Definitions and Notes page under the References tab.

Dependency ratios:

total dependency ratio:81.2(2015 est.)

youth dependency ratio:76.2(2015 est.)

elderly dependency ratio:5.1(2015 est.)

potential support ratio:19.8(2015 est.)

Median age:

total:19.9 years

male:19.6 years

female:20.1 years(2018 est.)

country comparison to the world:
196

Population growth rate:

2.61%(2018 est.)

country comparison to the world:
18

Birth rate:

32.8 births/1,000 population(2018 est.)

country comparison to the world:
30

Death rate:

6.8 deaths/1,000 population(2018 est.)

country comparison to the world:
135

Net migration rate:

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population(2018 est.)

country comparison to the world:
99

Population distribution:

one of the more densely populated African nations with most of the population residing in rural communities, density is highest in the south on or near the Atlantic coast

etymology:
derived from the Ewe words "to" (river) and "godo" (on the other side) to give the sense of "on the other side of the river"; originally, this designation applied to the town of Togodo (now Togoville) on the northern shore of Lake Togo, but the name was eventually extended to the entire nation

amendments:
proposed by the president of the republic or supported by at least one-fifth of the National Assembly membership; passage requires four-fifths majority vote by the Assembly; a referendum is required if approved by only two-thirds majority of the Assembly or if requested by the president; constitutional articles on the republican and secular form of government cannot be amended; amended 2002, 2007, last in 2019 when the National Assembly unanimously approved a package of amendments including presidential term limits of two 5-year mandates
(2019)

Legal system:

customary law system

International law organization participation:

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; non-party state to the ICCt

Citizenship:

citizenship by birth:
no

citizenship by descent only:
at least one parent must be a citizen of Togo

cabinet:
Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister

elections/appointments:
president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a 5-year term (no term limits); election last held on 25 April 2015 (next to be held in 2020); prime minister appointed by the president

highest courts:
Supreme Court or Cour Supreme (organized into criminal and administrative chambers, each with a chamber president and advisors); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges, including the court president)

judge selection and term of office:
Supreme Court president appointed by decree of the president of the republic upon the proposal of the Supreme Council of the Magistracy, a 9-member judicial, advisory, and disciplinary body; other judicial appointments and judge tenure NA; Constitutional Court judges appointed by the National Assembly; judge tenure NA

subordinate courts:
Court of Assizes (sessions court); Appeal Court; tribunals of first instance (divided into civil, commercial, and correctional chambers; Court of State Security; military tribunal

Political parties and leaders:

Action Committee for Renewal or CAR [Yaovi AGBOYIBO]Alliance of Democrats for Integral Development or ADDI [Tchaboure GOGUE]Democratic Convention of African Peoples or CDPA [Brigitte ADJAMAGBO-JOHNSON]Democratic Forces for the Republic or FDR [Dodji APEVON]National Alliance for Change or ANC [Jean-Pierre FABRE]New Togolese Commitment [Gerry TAAMA]Pan-African National Party or PNP [Tikpi ATCHADAM]Pan-African Patriotic Convergence or CPP [Edem KODJO]Patriotic Movement for Democracy and Development or MPDD Socialist Pact for Renewal or PSR [Abi TCHESSA]The Togolese Party [Nathaniel OLYMPIO]Union of Forces for Change or UFC [Gilchrist OLYMPIO]Union for the Republic or UNIR [Faure GNASSINGBE]

five equal horizontal bands of green (top and bottom) alternating with yellow; a white five-pointed star on a red square is in the upper hoist-side corner; the five horizontal stripes stand for the five different regions of the country; the red square is meant to express the loyalty and patriotism of the people, green symbolizes hope, fertility, and agriculture, while yellow represents mineral wealth and faith that hard work and strength will bring prosperity; the star symbolizes life, purity, peace, dignity, and Togo's independence

note: uses the popular Pan-African colors of Ethiopia

National symbol(s):

lion; national colors: green, yellow, red, white

National anthem:

name:
"Salut a toi, pays de nos aieux" (Hail to Thee, Land of Our Forefathers)

lyrics/music:
Alex CASIMIR-DOSSEH

note: adopted 1960, restored 1992; this anthem was replaced by another during one-party rule between 1979 and 1992

Economy :: Togo

Economy - overview:

Togo has enjoyed a period of steady economic growth fueled by political stability and a concerted effort by the government to modernize the country’s commercial infrastructure, but discontent with President Faure GNASSINGBE has led to a rapid rise in protests, creating downside risks. The country completed an ambitious large-scale infrastructure improvement program, including new principal roads, a new airport terminal, and a new seaport. The economy depends heavily on both commercial and subsistence agriculture, providing employment for around 60% of the labor force. Some basic foodstuffs must still be imported. Cocoa, coffee, and cotton and other agricultural products generate about 20% of export earnings with cotton being the most important cash crop. Togo is among the world's largest producers of phosphate and seeks to develop its carbonate phosphate reserves, which provide more than 20% of export earnings.

Supported by the World Bank and the IMF, the government's decade-long effort to implement economic reform measures, encourage foreign investment, and bring revenues in line with expenditures has moved slowly. Togo completed its IMF Extended Credit Facility in 2011 and reached a Heavily Indebted Poor Country debt relief completion point in 2010 at which 95% of the country's debt was forgiven. Togo continues to work with the IMF on structural reforms, and in January 2017, the IMF signed an Extended Credit Facility arrangement consisting of a three-year $238 million loan package. Progress depends on follow through on privatization, increased transparency in government financial operations, progress toward legislative elections, and continued support from foreign donors.

Togo’s 2017 economic growth probably remained steady at 5.0%, largely driven by infusions of foreign aid, infrastructure investment in its port and mineral industry, and improvements in the business climate. Foreign direct investment inflows have slowed in recent years.

general assessment:
fair system based on a network of microwave radio relay routes supplemented by open-wire lines and a mobile-cellular system;
(2018)

domestic:
fixed-line less than 1 per 100 and mobile-cellular 78 telephones per 100 persons with mobile-cellular use predominating
(2018)

international:
country code - 228; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Symphonie; West Africa Cable System (WACS), linking countries along the west coast of Africa with each other and with Portugal and the United Kingdom; GLO-1, linking countries along the west coast of Africa to each other and to Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom

Broadcast media:

1 state-owned TV station with multiple transmission sites; five private TV stations broadcast locally; cable TV service is available; state-owned radio network with two stations (in Lome and Kara); several dozen private radio stations and a few community radio stations; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters available
(2019)

Internet country code:

.tg

Internet users:

total:877,310

percent of population:11.3%(July 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world:
133

Broadband - fixed subscriptions:

total:45,756

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants:1(2017 est.)

country comparison to the world:
131

Transportation :: Togo

National air transport system:

number of registered air carriers:1(2015)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers:8(2015)

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers:769,904(2015)

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers:0mt-km(2015)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix:

5V
(2016)

Airports:

8(2013)

country comparison to the world:
163

Airports - with paved runways:

total:2(2013)

2,438 to 3,047 m:2(2013)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total:6(2013)

914 to 1,523 m:4(2013)

under 914 m:2(2013)

Pipelines:

62 km gas

Railways:

total:568 km(2014)

narrow gauge:568 km1.000-m gauge(2014)

country comparison to the world:
111

Roadways:

Waterways:

50 km(seasonally navigable by small craft on the Mono River depending on rainfall)(2011)

18 years of age for military service; 2-year service obligation; currently the military is only an all-volunteer force
(2017)

Transnational Issues :: Togo

Disputes - international:

in 2001, Benin claimed Togo moved boundary monuments - joint commission continues to resurvey the boundary; talks continue between Benin and Togo on funding the Adjrala hydroelectric dam on the Mona River